With everything set fair for the resumption after a near 18 months break of league racing, it’s a real challenge awaiting the Kent TouchTec Kings as they survey the opening fixtures of their inaugural season in Speedway’s second tier, the SGB Championship [SGBC].
The sport’s authorities had to respond to the ‘Road Map’ and make what everyone trusts now will be the final adjustment to fixtures in terms of the pandemic and it means, with spectators due to be allowed in stadia on Monday 17th. May, that the opening fixture on May 18th. at Central Park the following evening, on Kent’s new Tuesday race night will actually be the first SGBC fixture anywhere in the country of the 2021 season.
And it couldn’t be a much tougher baptism for the Kings as they are coming up against the reigning champions, winners of the SGBC title in 2019, the Leicester Lions. Also in that opening week the Sittingbourne-based side will break new ground with a first ever fixture north of the border travelling up on Friday 21st. May to take on the side many experts predict as the most likely title winners this term, Glasgow Tigers.
Then it’s back home on Tuesday May 25th. to lock horns with far more familiar opponents but bitter rivals for all that, the side from just over the county border into Sussex, Eastbourne Eagles. That’s in the First Round of the Knock-out Cup and talking of knockouts it’s clear the Kings will need to be punching at their full weight from the off with such a challenging trio of fixtures in May.
But team boss, Chris Hunt is looking forward to this start and sees it as the perfect opportunity to hit the track running. “It’s certainly a baptism of fire of that’s there’s no doubt. We know that Leicester and Glasgow plus big-spending Plymouth who we visit on June 1st. are highly likely to be among the top contenders in this league and it will be an instant test of our mettle there’s no two ways about it.
“I think out of all of them Glasgow seem on the face of it to be the most solid looking through the one to seven. I have to say I’m really looking forward to going up there. I have been to a number of the previous venues the Glasgow Tigers have been based at over the years but never to their current home track in Ashfield and I understand it’s a very smart place and certainly will be a tough one for us to visit as an opening away fixture. But all our riders, several of whom do have experience of riding there, will be looking forward to it and we’ll take it as it comes, go out there and give it our best shot”.
In terms of the fixtures, the two matches will fell off the original listing due to the requirement to put the season start back to the third week of May were both against old rivals, Birmingham Brummies and have now both been rearranged, The side from the Second City visit Central Park on Tuesday 20th. July with the return up in the West Midlands on Wednesday 4th. August.
In other fixture news, this time relating to the National League side, the Kent Iwade Garage Royals, the away match against Eastbourne Seagulls is now a stand alone fixture at Arlington on Saturday 19th. June; and it’s been confirmed that the away matches at Berwick and Newcastle which form part of a ‘Northern Tour’ on 20th to 22nd. August (along with a trip to the Scottish capital, Edinburgh) will both be double headers - meaning that the Kings’ matches will be followed on those evenings by NL encounters for the Royals against the Berwick Bullets and the Newcastle Gems respectively.
The Royals will venture up to Edinburgh on September 10th. for a standalone NL match against the Armadale Devils.